CHAPTER X.

CHAPTER X.

_Construction of a ladder._

Our repast being ended, I observed to my wife, that I did not

think it would be possible for us to sleep that night in the

tree, and that we should therefore be obliged to lie on the ground.

I however desired her immediately to begin preparing the harness

for the animals, that they might go to the sea-shore and fetch

the pieces of wood, and such articles as I might find necessary

for enabling us to ascend the tree, if, contrary to my expectation,

it should be found practicable. She lost not a moment in beginning

her work; while I, in the mean time, set about suspending our

hammocks to some of the arched roots of the trees, which I considered

would be more convenient for passing the night than on the ground.

I next spread a piece of sail-cloth large enough to cover them,

to preserve us from the dew and from the insects. Having thus

made the best provision I could for my family, I hastened with

the two eldest boys, to the sea-shore, to examine what pieces

of wood might have been thrown up by the waves, and to choose

out such as were most proper for the steps of my ladder. The

dry branches of the fig-tree I would not use, for they appeared

to me too fragile for the purpose; and I had not observed any

other kind of wood growing near, that was sufficiently solid.

There were, no doubt, on the sands, numberless pieces, the quality

of which was fit for my object; but, unfortunately, there was

none that would not require considerable labour to be adapted

to my purpose; and thus my undertaking would have experienced

a considerable delay, if Ernest had not been lucky enough to

discover a number of bamboo canes in a sort of bog, where they

lay half covered with sand and mud. I took them out, and, with

the boys’ assistance, completely cleared them from the dirt;

and stripping off their leaves to examine them, I found to my

great joy that they were precisely what I wanted. I then instantly

began to cut them, with my hatchet, in pieces of four or five

feet long; the boys bound them together in faggots proportioned

to their strength for carrying them, and we prepared to return

with them to our place of abode. I next secured some of the straight

and most slender of the stalks, to make some arrows with, of

which I knew I should stand in need. At some distance from the

place where we stood, I perceived a sort of thicket, in which

I hoped I might find some young twigs, which I thought might

also be useful to me; I determined, however, first to examine

them. We proceeded to the spot; but apprehending it might be

the retreat of some dangerous reptile, or animal, we held our

guns in readiness. Ponto, who had accompanied us, went before.

We had hardly reached the thicket, when we observed him make

several jumps, and throw himself furiously into the middle of

the bushes; when instantly a troop of large-sized flamingoes*

sprang out, and with a loud rustling noise mounted into the air.

Fritz, always too ready with his gun, instantly fired, when two

of the birds fell down among the bushes: one of them was quite

dead, but the other was only slightly wounded in the wing: he

soon got upon his feet, and giving himself a shake, and finding

that he could not fly, he began to make use of his long legs,

and to run so fast towards the water, that we were afraid he

would escape us. Fritz, in the joy of his heart, ran to pick up

the flamingo he had killed; he plunged up to his knees in the

water, and with great difficulty was able to get out again; while

I, warned by his example, proceeded more cautiously in my pursuit

of the wounded bird. Ponto came to my assistance, for without

him I should have lost all trace of the animal; but he ran on

before, caught hold of the flamingo, and held him fast till I

reached the spot, and took him into my protection. All this was

effected with considerable trouble; for the bird made a stout

resistance, flapping its wings with violence for some time. However,

at last I succeeded in securing him.

* Flamingo is a species of bird between the web-footed genus

and the waders; it takes its name from the singular colour of

its plumage, being of a bright flame-coloured red. This bird

is to be found both in the old and the new continent; in the

old continent, only in the southern climates; and in the new,

no-where to the north of Carolina. The flamingo is a gregarious

animal, frequenting the sea-shore and the marshes occasionally

covered by the sea. When the flamingo sets out upon a fishing

expedition, the birds range themselves in file, so as, at a distance,

to produce the appearance of an extended line of soldiers; nor

do they employ this arrangement only when they seek their prey,

but also in a state of repose. Sometimes, however, a flamingo

may be found alone, or with only a single companion, especially

when at a distance from the sea. When drawn up in their military

array, there are always sentinels fixed, who, in case of alarm,

utter a loud cry capable of being heard at a great distance,

and considerably resembling the sound of a trumpet: the sentinel

then takes wing, and all the others follow: but whenever it is

possible to come upon a flock of flamingoes without being observed

by the sentinel, it is easy to pounce upon them and kill a great

number. The report of a musket never induces them to take wing,

but rather stupifies them; and they remain immovable, with their

eyes fixed on the sportsman. They avoid all inhabited places,

and live on the small fry of fish, or shell-fish, and on insects

that they find in the mud, into which they plunge their long

and singular beak. The flamingo builds its nest on the ground,

and generally in marshes; they scrape the mud into a heap with

their feet, so as to make little hillocks of a conical figure,

and a foot and a half in height; the hillock is a little hollowed

at the top; and in this hollow the female lays two or three eggs

at most, upon which she sits; her legs, which are very long,

resting upon the level ground, or plunged Into the water, while

with the back part of her body she keeps the eggs in a proper

state of warmth. The egg of the flamingo is white, and of the

size of a goose’s egg, but more elliptical. The young ones run

with inexpressible quickness in a few days after their birth,

but do not begin to fly till they have acquired their full size.

Their plumage is at first of a pale gray approaching to white;

it grows redder as the young flamingo increases in age; but nearly

a year elapses before this bird reaches its full stature; at

which time it first shews its robe of a brilliant flame colour.

The carnation hue first appears on the wing, which is always

of the brightest tint; it then extends to the rump, and afterwards

shows itself upon the back and breast, and as far as the neck,

which is of a delicate rose colour. The flamingo is considered

as a delicate morsel for the table, having some resemblance to

the partridge in flavour: the tongue, which is very large, is

particularly esteemed. They differ in stature, largeness, and

colour; but this difference depends upon the age of the animal:

when in full growth, the flamingo is more than four feet long

from the beak to the tail, and neatly six feet high to the extremity

of the talons. The neck and legs are extremely long; the plumage

varies in colour on the different parts of the body, from a bright

vermilion to a beautiful rose colour, and the legs and feet are

of the same tint. There are however a few black feathers in each

wing; the beak in some is red, and in others yellow; but the

extremity in all is black. _Noueveau Dictionnaire d’Historie

Naturelle._

Fritz was not long in extricating himself from the swamp; he

now appeared holding the dead flamingo by the feet: but I had

more trouble in the care of mine, as I had a great desire to

preserve him alive. I had tied his feet and his wings with my

handkerchief; notwithstanding which, he still continued to flutter

about to a distressing degree, and tried to make his escape.

I held the flamingo under my left arm, and my gun in my right

hand. I made the best jumps I was able, to get to the boys, but

at the risk of sinking every moment into the mud, which was extremely

deep, and from which it would have been difficult to have released

me. Attracted by the love of sporting, I had made my way through

these dangerous places, scarcely observing their existence; but

now, on my return, I shuddered on perceiving the danger to which

I had exposed myself.

The joy of the boys was excessive, when they saw that my flamingo

was alive. If we can but cure his wound and contrive to feed

him, what a happiness it will be! said they. Do you think that

he will like to be with the other fowls?

I know, answered I, that he is a bird that may be easily tamed;

and we will make our experiment upon him: but he will not thank

you for such food as we give our fowls; he will make his humble

petition to you for some small fish, a few worms, or insects.

_Ernest._—Our river will furnish him with all these; Jack and

Francis can catch as many as he will want; and very soon, with

such long legs as he has, he may learn the way to the river and

find them for himself.

_Father._—I hope you will take great care of him, for I have

a great desire to preserve him.

_Fritz._—How delightful it will be, if we can catch some other

sorts of wild birds, and have a yard to keep them in! But look,

father, he is web-footed like aquatic birds, while his legs are

long like the stork: is not this rare and extraordinary?

_Father._—Not at all: many other birds, as well as the flamingo,

possess the double faculty of running and of swimming.

_Ernest._—But, father, are all flamingoes like this, of such

a beautiful red colour, and the wings so exquisitely tinted with

purple? I think I have seen the flamingo in my Natural History,

and the colours were not like these: so perhaps this is not a

flamingo at last?

_Father._—I believe it is a flamingo, Ernest, and that this

difference in the plumage denotes the age of the bird: when very

young they are gray, at a more advanced age they are white; and it

is only when they are full grown, that they are adorned with this

beautifully tinted plumage.

_Ernest._—This dead one, then, is an old fellow, and I am afraid

by his colours that he will make but a tough dish: shall we not

take him home to mamma?

_Father._—Yes, certainly. I leave to you the care of carrying

him, in the best manner you can: in the mean time, I shall repeat my

visit to the canes, for I have not done with them yet. I accordingly

selected, now, some of the oldest of the stalks, and cut from

them their hard-pointed ends, which I had well considered would

serve for the tips of my arrows, for which they are also used

by the savages of the Antilles. Lastly, I looked for two of the

longest canes, which I cut, for the purpose of measuring the

height of our giant tree, about which I felt so deep an interest.

When I told my sons the use I intended to make of the two longest

canes, they indulged themselves in a hearty laugh at me, and

maintained, that though I should lay ten such canes up the trunk

of the tree, the last would not reach even the lowest branch.

I requested they would oblige me by having a little patience;

and I reminded them, that it was not long ago that they defied

their mother to catch the fowls, because they themselves had

not known how to set about it.

When I had done all I wanted, I began to think of returning.

Ernest took the charge of all the canes; Fritz carried the dead

flamingo, and I took care of the living one. We had not gone

far, when Fritz, addressing himself to Ponto, said: Oho, lazy

bones! so you think you are to be excused from any part of the

burden; have the goodness to carry my flamingo on your back,

with the same politeness as your companion Turk observed, towards

my little monkey.

As he said this, he tied the dead bird upon his back, without

the least resistance from the patient animal.

So then, said I, Mr. Fritz intends to return quite at his ease,

and without any part of our load, while his old father and his

young brother carry each a heavy portion!

Your reproach is very just, father, said the excellent lad; give

me, I entreat you, your live bird, and I will take the greatest

care of him; only see if he does not already give me a kind look!

and as for his long formidable beak, I am not the least afraid

of it; he does not look as if he would bite me. That is the more

generous on his part, replied I, for it was you who wounded him:

but it is a known fact, that animals are often of a less revengeful

nature than man, and you will see that this bird will attach

itself to you very strongly: saying this, I put the flamingo

carefully into his hands.

We were now returned to the spot where we had left the three

bundles of bamboo-canes; and as my sons were sufficiently loaded,

I took charge of them myself. Now you see, said I to Fritz, that in

this instance kindness is its own reward; if you had not undertaken

the care of the flamingo, you would have had to carry all these

bundles, which are a much heavier load.

We were at length arrived once more at our giant trees, and were

received with a thousand expressions of interest and kindness.

Why, what have you there, Ernest, that is so beautiful a red?—and,

Fritz, what is that in your handkerchief? All were delighted

at the sight of our new conquests. My wife, with her accustomed

disposition to anxiety on our account, immediately asked where

we should get food enough for all the animals we brought home.

You should consider, said I, that some of them feed us, instead

of being fed; and the one we have now brought you, need not give

you much uneasiness, if, as I hope, he proves able to find food

for himself without our interference. I now began to examine

his wound, and found that only one wing was injured by the ball,

but that the other had also been slightly wounded by the dog’s

laying hold of him. I anointed them both with an ointment I composed

of a mixture of butter and wine for the purpose, and which seemed

immediately to ease the pain; I next tied him by one of his legs,

with a long string, to a stake I had driven into the ground,

quite near to the stream, that he might go in and wash himself

when he pleased.

In the mean time, my little railers had tied the two longest

canes together, and were endeavouring to measure the tree with

them; but when they found that they reached no further than the

top of the arch formed by the roots, they all burst into immoderate

fits of laughter, assuring me, that if I wished to measure the

tree, I must think of some other means. I however sobered them

a little, by recalling to Fritz’s memory some lessons in geometry

and land-surveying, which he had received in Europe, and that

by means of these useful sciences, the measure of the highest

mountains, and their distance from each other, may be ascertained

by the application of triangles and supposed lines. I instantly

proceeded to this kind of operation, fixing my canes in the ground,

and making use of some string, which Fritz guided according to

my directions. I will not fatigue the reader with a minute account

of the geometrical process I adopted, as a substitute for the

proper instruments; it is sufficient to let him know, that the

means I used, answered my purpose, and that I found that the

height of our tree was forty feet: this particular of its height

I was obliged scrupulously to ascertain, before I could determine

the length of my ladder. I now set Fritz and Ernest to work,

to measure our stock of thick ropes, of which I wanted no less

than eighty feet for the two sides of the ladder; the two youngest

I employed in collecting all the small string we had used for

measuring, and carrying it to their mother. For my own part,

I sat down on the grass, and began to make some arrows with a

piece of the bamboo, and the short sharp points of the canes

I had taken such pains to secure. As the arrows were hollow,

I filled them with moist sand, to give them a little weight;

and lastly, I tipped them with a bit of feather from the flamingo,

to make them fly straight. Scarcely had I finished my work, than

the boys came jumping round me, uttering a thousand demonstrations

of joy: A bow, a bow, and some real arrows! cried they, addressing

each other, and then running to me.—Tell us, father, continued

they, what you are going to do with them; do let me shoot one;—and

me; and me too, cried one and all as fast as they could speak.

_Father._—Have patience, boys; I say, have patience. This once

I must claim the preference for myself, in order to make trial

of my work, which I undertook rather for use than for amusement;

so now I will try one of them. Have you, my dear, any strong

thread? said I to my wife; I want some immediately. We shall

see, said she, what my enchanted bag, which has never yet refused

its aid, can do for you. She then threw open its mouth. Come,

said she, my pretty bag, give me what I ask you for; my husband

wants some thread, and it must be very strong . . . . . See now, did

I not promise you should have your wish? . . . . . See, here is a

large ball of the very thread you want.

_Ernest._—But I do not see much magic, however, mother, in taking

out of a bag, exactly what we had before put into it.

_Father._—If we are to discuss the matter seriously, Ernest,

I cannot but allow that your observation is a just one; but in

a moment of dreadful apprehension, such as we experienced on

leaving the vessel, to think of a variety of little things that

might be useful to one or all of us, was an act that we may truly

call an enchantment; and it is a conduct, of which, only the

best of wives and the best of mothers could be capable: it is,

then, something like a truth, that your mother is a good fairy,

who constantly provides for all our wants: but you young giddy

things think little of the benefit you thus enjoy.

Just at this moment, Fritz joined us, having finished measuring

the string; he brought me the welcome tidings that our stock,

in all, was about five hundred fathoms, which I knew to be more

than sufficient for my ladder. I now tied the end of the ball

of strong thread to an arrow, and fixing it to the bow, I shot

it off in such a direction, as to make the arrow pass under one

of the largest branches of the tree, and fall again to the ground

from the upper side of the same branch. By this method I lodged

my thread across the main branch, while I had the command of

the end and the ball below. It was now easy to tie a piece of

rope to the end of the thread, and draw it upwards, till the

knot should reach the same branch. We were thus enabled again

to measure the height it was from the ground, and it again proved

to be forty-feet, as had appeared by my former mode of measuring.

Having now made quite sure of being able to raise my ladder by

means of the string already suspended, we all set to work with

increased zeal and confidence. The first thing I did was to cut

a length of about a hundred feet from my parcel of ropes, an

inch thick; this I divided into two equal parts, which I stretched

along on the ground in two parallel lines, at the distance of

a foot from each other. I then directed Fritz to cut portions

of sugar cane, each two feet in length. Ernest handed them to

me, one after another; and as I received them, I inserted them

into my cords at the distance of twelve inches respectively;

fixing them with knots in the cord, while Jack, by my order,

drove into each a long nail at the two extremities, to hinder

them from slipping out again. Thus in a very short time I had

formed a ladder of forty rounds in length, and in point of execution

firm and compact, and which we all beheld with a sort of joyful

astonishment. I now proceeded to fasten it firmly to one end

of the rope, which hung from the tree, and pulled it by the other,

till one end of our ladder reached the branch, and seemed to

rest so well upon it, that the joyous exclamations of the boys

and my wife resounded from all sides. All the boys wished to

be the first to ascend upon it; but I decided that it should

be Jack, he being the nimblest and of the lightest figure among

them. Accordingly, I and his brothers held the end of the rope

with all our strength, while our young adventurer tripped up

the ladder with as much ease as if he were a cat, and presently

took his post upon the branch; but I observed that he had not

strength enough to tie the rope firmly to the tree. Fritz now

interfered, assuring me that he could ascend the ladder as safely

as his brother: but, as he was much heavier, I was not altogether

without apprehension. I gave him instructions how to step, in

such a way as to divide his weight, by occupying four rounds

of the ladder at the same time, with his feet and hands; I made

him take with him some large nails and a hammer, to nail the

ladder firmly to the branch. He set out courageously upon the

undertaking, and was almost instantly side by side with Jack,

forty-feet above our heads, and both saluting us with cries of

exultation. Fritz immediately set to work to fasten the ladder,

by passing the rope round and round the branch; and this he performed

with so much skill and intelligence, that I felt sufficient reliance

to determine me to ascend myself, and well conclude the business

he had begun. But before I ascended, I tied a large pulley to

the end of the rope, and carried it with me. When I was at the

top, I fastened the pulley to a branch which was within my reach,

that by this means I might be able the next day to draw up the

planks and timbers I might want for building my aërial castle. I

executed all this by the light of the moon, and felt the satisfaction

of having done a good day’s work. I now gently descended my rope

ladder, and joined my wife and children.

As I found an inconvenience in being three of us together on the

branch, I had directed the boys to descend first. My astonishment,

therefore, on reaching the ground, and finding that neither Fritz

nor Jack had made their appearance, it is easier to conceive than

to describe; their mother, as she assured me, having seen nothing

of them since they ascended the ladder. While I was endeavouring

to conjecture where they could be, we suddenly heard the sound

of voices which seemed to come from the clouds, and which chanted

an evening hymn. I soon recognised the trick our young rogues

had played me; who seeing me busily employed in the tree, instead

of descending as I had desired them, had climbed upwards from

branch to branch till they reached to the very top. My heart

was now lightened of my apprehensions for their safety, and I

called out to them as loudly as I could, to take great care in

coming down. It was almost night, and the light of the moon scarcely

penetrated the extreme thickness of the foliage. They presently

descended, and joined their anxious relations without any accident.

I now directed them to assemble all our animals, and to get together

what dry wood we should want for making fires, which I looked

to as our defence against the attacks of wild beasts. I explained

to them all my reasons for this, informing them that in Africa,

a country remarkable for its prodigious numbers of ferocious

animals, the natives secure themselves from their nocturnal visits,

by lighting large fires, which all these creatures are known

to dread and avoid.

When these preparations were finished, my wife presented me with the

day’s work she had performed; it was some traces and a breast-leather

each for the cow and the ass. I promised her, as a reward for

her zeal and exertion, that we should all be completely settled

in the tree the following day. And now we began to think of our

supper, in which she and Ernest and little Francis had been busily

and officiously engaged. Ernest had made two wooden forks, and

driven them into the ground to support a spit, upon which was

a large piece of the porcupine, which he kept turning at the

fire. Another piece of the animal was boiling in the pot for

soup; and both together exhaled an odour which gave us an excellent

appetite.

All our animals had now come round us, one after the other. My

wife threw some grain to the fowls, to accustom them to assemble

in a particular spot; and when they had eaten it, we had the

pleasure of seeing our pigeons take their flight to the top of

the giant tree, and the cocks and hens perching and settling

themselves, and cackling all the time, upon the rounds of the

ladder. The quadrupeds we tied to the arched roots of the tree,

quite near to our hammocks, where they quietly lay down on the

grass to ruminate in tranquillity. Our beautiful flamingo was

not forgotten, Fritz having fed him with some crumbs of biscuit

soaked in milk, which he ate very heartily; and afterwards putting

his head under his right wing, and raising his left foot, he

abandoned himself with confidence to sleep.

At last we had notice that our supper was served. We had laid

together in different heaps, a quantity of dried branches and

pieces of wood, in readiness to light, when my wife summoned

us to our meal, which we had waited for with impatience, and

now greedily devoured. My wife, still keeping her resolution

of not tasting the porcupine, contented herself with the more

sober fare of bread and cheese. The children brought us some

figs for the dessert, which they had picked up under the trees,

and of which we all partook with pleasure. And now the gaping

of one of the boys, and the out-stretched arms of another, gave

us notice, that it was time for our young labourers to retire

to rest. We performed our evening devotions. I set fire to several

of the heaps, and then threw myself contentedly upon my hammock.

My young ones were already cased in theirs, and we were soon

greeted with their murmurs at being obliged to lie so close to

each other, that they could not move their limbs. Ah, gentlemen,

cried I, you must try to be contented; no sailor is ever better

accommodated than you are now, and you must not expect beds to

drop from the clouds on your behalf! I then directed them how

to put themselves in a more convenient posture, and to swing

their hammock gently to and fro. And see, added I, if sleep will

not visit you as soon in a hammock, as on a bed of down. They

profited by my advice, and all, except myself, were soon asleep.